Cuslomer Informalion
Uniform
Tire
Quality
Grading
System
(UTQGS)
This information relates
to the tire
gradjng
system developedby the U.S.
National Highway Traffic
Safety
Administration for
grading
tires
by tread
wear, traction, and temperature
I ltead Wear
The tread
wea.r
grade
is a comparative
nting based on $e wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified
govemment
test course.
For example, a tire
graded
I 50
would
wear
one-and-a-half times as well on the
govemment
course
as a tire
gmded
l0o.
The relative
performance
of
tires
depends
upon the actual conditions of their us€,
howeve! and may depart
significandy
from
the
nom
because of
valiations
in
driving habits,
service
practices
and dif-
ferences in rcad characteristics and cli-
I Tlacaion-AA, .\ B, C
'fte
tracdon
grades,
from highest
to low,
est, are AA, A, B. and C. These
grades
9.8
r€present
fte tire's abilily to stop on
wet
pavement
as measured
under
controlled
conditions on
sp€cified
govemment
test
surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A dre
marked C Inay have
poor
traction
perfor-
WARNING:
The
tructioi
glade
assigned to this tirc
is based o blaki
g (slraight
ahea.l)
tractio tests a
d does
not
include
ac.elerudon co edne
tunind,
hJdropla i
g,
or
peak
trcction
I Temperature-A, B, C
The lemperature
graales
are A
(the
high-
est), B,
and C,
represent
the tiret resis-
tance to the
generation
of heat and its
ability
to
dissipate
heat
when
tested un-
der conlrolled conditions on a
specifi€d
indoor laboratory iest wheel. Sustained
high temperature
can cause the material
of lhe tire 1o degen€rate and reduce tire
life, and excessive
temperatures can
lead
to sudden
tire failure.
Grade C conesponds to alevel of
performance
which
all
passenger
vehicle
tires must me€t under
the
Federal Motor
Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades
B and A represenl higher levels of
perfoamance
on the laboraiory test
wheel
than $e minimum required by law.
WARNING:
The tenperulure
srude for
this tbe is
established
fof
a tie th4t B
pfope
r
inlated and not ove oaded Excessive
speed, undefit
Jlation,
or excessive
Ioading, either separat
b
or in
combination, con cause heat buiuap
a .l
possible
tirc
faiure.
These
grades
will
be added to the side-
walls
of
passenger
vehicle
tires over the
next
several
years
according
to asched,
ule €stablished by the NHTSA and
the
tire manufacturels.
The
grade
of
tires available
as standard or
optional equipment on Mazda
vehicle
may vary with respect to
grade.
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